Chapter 20
Violet's POV:
I killed the engine of my bike, letting the silence of the campus edge wash over me before I swung my leg over the seat. Zane didn't hear me approach; he was too lost in his own misery.
"Zane?" I called out softly.
His head snapped up with a violence that made me flinch. Tears streaked his face, but it was his eyes that froze me in place. They weren't his usual soft grey; they were bleeding into a frantic, glowing amber, the pupils dilated so wide they nearly swallowed the irises. He clutched his chest, his fingers digging into his shirt as if trying to rip his own heart out.
"Luna..." His voice was a guttural rasp, more beast than boy. "My wolf... he’s howling. It feels like something is snapping inside."
A wave of pity crashed through my cynical exterior. It was the physical agony of a bond being rejected, or at least, the terrifying pre-tremors of it. His wolf sensed the separation before his human mind could fully process it.
I pulled him into a firm embrace and released a wave of calming pheromones.
"Breathe, Zane," I commanded. "Leash the wolf. Do not let it surface."
He trembled violently against me, his body fever-hot, but slowly, the biological imperative to submit to a higher rank took over. His breathing hitched, then slowed. The amber glow in his eyes receded, leaving behind bloodshot, exhausted grey.
"Tell me what happened," I said, pulling back but keeping a steadying hand on his shoulder.
He wiped his face with his sleeve, looking ashamed of his outburst. "Yesterday... we were on a date. It was perfect, or I thought it was. But her phone unlocked on the table, and I saw it."
"Saw what?"
"A text. From a number she didn't have saved." Zane’s voice cracked. "Being the jealous idiot I am, I demanded to know who it was. She refused to tell me. She got so defensive, Violet. She said I was being controlling, that I didn't trust her." He let out a bitter, choked laugh. "Then she said it. She said, 'Maybe we need to break the Bond for a while. Maybe we need space.'"
"What did the text say, Zane?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral. "Exact words."
He squeezed his eyes shut, reciting it like a curse he had memorized. "It said: 'Can we just meet? Please. Give me one chance.'"
My heart skipped a beat.
The words echoed in my mind, layered with a sickening sense of irony. The ruthlessly arrogant Alpha Daemon, who had looked at me with nothing but disdain for five years, was now begging.
I looked at Zane, this sweet, loyal boy who was being crushed by a game he didn't even know he was playing. He was the collateral damage of a True Mate bond. If I were a good person, I would tell him to let her go.
But a surge of vindictiveness rose within me. Why should Daemon get what he wanted so easily?
"Zane," I said, gripping his shoulder hard. "Listen to me. She hasn't left you yet. ' Taking a space' isn't a rejection."
"It feels like one," he whispered.
"It's not," I lied. "Come on. You can't stay here."
I stood up and handed him the spare helmet I had used for Ruby just an hour ago. "Get on the bike."
Twenty minutes later, we were pushing through the heavy double doors of The Midnight Howl.
I guided Zane to a booth in the back and ordered a bottle of Wolfsbane Liquor—a high-proof spirit distilled with trace amounts of aconite, just enough to numb a werewolf’s accelerated metabolism.
Zane downed the first glass like water. By the third, the alcohol had stripped away his remaining composure.
"It’s because I’m a Delta, isn't it?" He slammed the glass down, tears streaming freely now. "She’s the daughter of a Gamma. She’s at the top of her class. And who am I? I’m a poor kid working three jobs just to buy her dinner. I’m not... I’m not powerful."
I sipped my soda, watching him unravel. "Status isn't everything, Zane."
"In our world? It’s the only thing," he slurred, looking at me with glassy eyes. "I promised I’d make her happy. I swore I wouldn't let her regret choosing me. But how can I compete? That text... it was desperate, Violet. Whoever sent that... he wants her bad. And if he has money? If he has power?"
"He has both," I murmured, almost too quiet for him to hear.
"Why?" Zane dropped his head onto the sticky table. "She chose me. Why did she change?"
I reached out, placing my hand over his where it clenched a fresh glass. I stopped him from pouring another shot.
"Don't be so pessimistic," I said, my voice smooth and persuasive. "Think about the text, Zane. 'Give me a chance.' That implies she hasn't given him one yet. It implies he's chasing, and she's running. If she hasn't told you who it is, maybe she's trying to protect you. Maybe she's confused."
I leaned in, my eyes locking onto his. "If you give up now, you hand her over to him. Is that what you want?"
"No," he groaned into his arms. "Never."
"Then don't assume the worst."
He didn't answer. His breathing leveled out as the Wolfsbane finally knocked him unconscious.
I signaled a waiter. "Help me get him upstairs. Put him in a guest room and charge it to the Blackwood account."
Once Zane was tucked into a bed, snoring softly, his phone was buzzing. Celeste was calling.
I let it ring until it went to voicemail. Then, I typed an address to Celeste.
The ride back to Blackwood Manor was a blur of cold wind and dark thoughts. When I walked through the heavy oak front door, Daemon was sitting on the leather sofa, a tumbler of whiskey in his hand.
My steps faltered.
"Luna!" Ruby wiped her hands on her apron, offering a grateful bow. "Thank you again for granting me that half-day off this afternoon. I managed to get home and sort out the family matter."
"Is everything resolved?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral.
"Yes, thank you. It took some talking, but things are much calmer now."
I nodded slowly as the realization clicked into place. Of course.
That explained the phone call to Zane’s mobile. Ruby had gone home, comforted her crying daughter, and smoothed things over. With her mother’s reassurance, Celeste had gained the courage to try and call Zane to apologize.
I felt a twist of dark amusement. Daemon had been sitting here, likely waiting for the breakup to finalize, unaware that I had inadvertently sent in the peacekeeper.
"You may go, Ruby," I said. "We don't need anything else tonight."
Then I turned to Daemon. "Don't forget that my father’s birthday banquet is the day after tomorrow. We need to have a gift prepared. Appearance is everything, isn't it?"
Daemon set the glass down and walked toward me, stopping just outside my personal bubble.
"Speaking of gifts," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "My mother mentioned the concentrated herbal extraction you gave her. For her migraines."
"She suffers from them. It helps," I said simply.
Daemon studied my face, his gaze dissecting me. "You’ve never taken an interest in my mother’s health beyond polite conversation. What’s the angle, Violet? Are you trying to buy her favor so she forces me to keep you?"
"A daughter-in-law caring for her mother-in-law is standard protocol," I said flatly. "Don't flatter yourself, Daemon. I’m not trying to trap you."
I took a step closer, invading his space for once. "I meant what I said. If you think I’m playing games, let’s call the Council tonight. We can schedule the Rejection Ceremony for tomorrow morning."
Daemon’s jaw tightened. The muscle in his cheek ticked.
"Keep dreaming," he spat.
He turned to walk away.
"Why?"
The word stopped him. He paused, his back to me.
"Why won't you let me go, Daemon?" I asked, my voice cutting through the silent room. "We both know you don't want me. We both know there’s someone else out there you’d rather be with."
I walked around him until I was facing him again.
"Are you afraid?" I whispered, a cruel smile touching my lips. "Are you scared that even if you chase her, she won't want you? Are you terrified that your 'True Mate' might actually love someone else, so you have to keep me here? Am I just your safety net, Daemon? The spare tire you keep in the trunk just in case the real journey fails?"